Motorcycle stand

ABSTRACT

A stand comprising a pair of plates for attachment to the forward part of the frame of a motorcycle, providing a pair of bushings on a transverse axis through which bearings the crossbar of a U-shaped assembly is passed. At least one of the plates is further arcuately orificed for a predetermined distance to receive a stop member adapted to move about an arc parallel to the cross-bar and to be stopped by the extremities of the arcuate orifice. A spring connected between a projection on at least one plate and one of the arms of the U-shaped member serves to urge the latter into either a locked extended or retracted position.

United States Patent Wood [451 Apr. 25, W72

[5 MOTORCYCLE STAND 2,908,510 10/1959 Lossau ..280/303 x 72 Inventor:George R. Wood, 528-1/2 E. Fairview, ln- 3362'726 1/ "280/303 glewood'Cahf' 90302 Primary Examiner-Kenneth A. Betts [22] Filed: June 22, I970Attorney-Smyth, Roston & Pavitt [21] Appl. No.: 48,119 [57] ABSTRACT Astand comprising a pair of plates for attachment to the forward pan ofthe frame of a motorcycle providing a pair of i 298 299 bushings on atransverse axis through which bearings the I 6 cross-bar of a U-shapedassembly is passed. At least one of the plates is further arcuatelyorificed for a predetermined distance to receive a stop member adaptedto move about an [56] References cued are parallel to the cross-bar andto be stopped by the extremi- UMTED STATES PATENTS ties of thearcuateorifice. A spring connected between a projection on at least one plateand one of the arms of the U- PhlnlpS ha ed member erves to urge thelatter into either a locked 3,039,792 6/ 1962 extended or retractedposition.

761,516 5/l904 1,654,862 1/1928 2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures MOTORCYCLESTAND RELATED PATENT There are no related applications, but applicant isone of the two joint inventors of the invention in a motorcycle standdescribed and claimed in U.S. Rat. No. 3,039,792, issued June 19, 1962.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This inventionrelates to retractable stands for supporting in an upright positionabove ground level a portion of a heavy vehicle such as a motorcycle.

2. Background of the Invention In recent years motorcycles have attainedgreat popularity in the United States. They range in size from smallmotorized bicycles to the large police types. Most motorcycles areequipped with some type of stand, but usually these stands are of thesingle leg type which requires that the motorcycle be tilted to the sidefrom which the stand leg projects.

Some motorcycles, particularly of the smaller type, however, comeequipped with double-legged stands. Usually these are designed toelevate the rear wheel of the motorcycle and not the front wheel. Whenthese double legged stands are so disposed on a large motorcycle, ittakes two strong persons to elevate the rear of the motorcycle enough tosnap the stand into supporting position. When the operator desires todrop the machine down to ground level, he may find that he needsassistance. In any event, since the powered wheel is elevated, theoperator cannot simply ride off the stand.

In 1962 there were patented to the present inventor and another, tworelated types of two-legged stand which were designed to be attached tothe forward as well as rear portions of a motorcycle. This stand isquite effective, but it employs the motorcycle frame itself as one ofthe two elements of the stop means. With prolonged use of the stand, thestop block can damage the motorcycle frame. Moreover, once it ismounted, it must be almost entirely dismounted should one desire toreplace the U-shaped rod if the latter becomes bent. Therefore, to avoidthe possibility of any bending of such rod, great care must be exercisedin heat treating the rod after its fabrication.

Another problem with the prior patented stand is that most of the partshave to be brought together in an assembly, albeit a loose one, at thetime the stand is mounted on the motorcycle. While this is not a majorproblem, it would be desirable to enable the mechanic mounting the standon the motorcycle to attach the mounting plates first and then assemblethe remaining parts with reference to the mounted plates.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention obviates all of theproblems inherent in prior art stands in that, for example, when mountedthe stand does not strike the frame or other parts of the motorcycle.Moreover, it may be mounted by attaching the bracket plates first andseparately to the frame and then putting together the several componentswhich, when assembled constitute the U-shaped legged rod. Thesecomponents may be disassembled at any time without having to remove thebracket plates from the motorcycle frame.

Lastly, when assembled the stand moves from extended position toretracted position (and vice versa) where it held by stop means of whichthe motorcycle frame forms no part.

These desirable results are accomplished by providing a dismantleableU-shaped rod which may be assembled and disassembled in reference to thebracket plates while the latter are secured to the motorcycle frame. Atleast one bracket plate is arcuately orificed with its radius ofcurvature pivoting about a point lying on the axis of the horizontalportion of the assembled U-shaped rod. Inserted into this arcuateorifice is a horizontally extending stop member which is secured in suchhorizontal disposition by an element attached to the horizontal portionof one of the L-shaped elements which when assembled make up theU-shaped rod. A tension spring extending between a lateral projectionfrom at least one of the bracket plates and the vertical portion of oneof the L-shaped elements serves to snap the U-shaped member into eitherretracted or extended position, depending upon at which side of thecenter of the swing movement the U-shaped member is disposed.

The stand may be rapidly and easily assembled and repaired. It providesits own stop means without having to em ploy any part of the motorcycleframe. When mounted, the operator may readily elevate the front wheel ofthe motorcycle by pushing down one leg of the stand with his foot andbacking the motorcycle up on to both legs of the stand. When theoperator desires to move the machine off the stand, he simply appliespower to the rear wheel and the motorcycle moves over the stand whichthen snaps back into its retracted position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 5 is a partial elevation of thecross-bar of the U-shaped rod.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The stand of the presentinvention is constructed of a pair of bracket plates 10, 10a, each ofwhich is provides with several holes 12 through which screws 14 may bepassed to attach the plates, one on each side of the frame 16 of themotorcycle 18.

When properly attached the plates 10, 10a will be disposed relative toeach other as shown in FIG. 2. In this disposition, the bushings 20, 20aof the plates will be lined up on a common axis 22 to receive coaxiallythe horizontal legs 24, 24a, of the L-shaped members 26, 26a,respectively. Upon insertion through the bushings 20, 20a, the legs 24,24a are further inserted in one end of the tubular element 28 and pushedin until their ends 30, 30a overlap. Screws 32, 320 are then threadedthrough the registering holes 34, 36 and 38 in the tubular element 28and the ends 30, 30a of the legs 24, 24a, respectively, thereby forminga U-shaped rod assembly.

The other extremities 40, 40a of the members 26, 26a, respectively, maybe provided with horizontal feet 42, 42a in order to provide a greaterdistribution of the weight of the motorcycle when it is elevated on thestand. These feet 42, 420 also minimize scarring of the surface uponwhich the motorcycle is supported by the stand.

At least one of the plates 10, 10a must be provided with stop means. InFIG. 2, however, both plates are shown to be so provided. While this isdesirable to reduce the strain on one stop means, it is not necessary tomake the stand operative. Only the stop for the left side of themotorcycle means will be described, but it is understood that if anotheris provided for the right side, it will be similarly constructed.

The stop means includes an arcuate slot 44 having its radius ofcurvature originating at the axis 28 through the bushings 20, 20a, andan element 46, one end of which extends horizontally into the slot 44a.This element is rigidly supported on the horizontal leg 24a of theL-shaped member 26a, by a disc 48, as by welding. The distance betweenthe axis 50 of the element 46 and the axis 28 equal to the radius ofcurvature of the arcuate slot 440 so that the element 46 may move in thearc of the slot with the rotation of the leg 24a, limited, however, bythe slot extremities 44b and 44c.

In order that the U-shaped assembly (26, 26a and 28) may be snapped intoeither its retracted or extended position and effectively held there, atension spring 52 is provided to extend between a projection 54, securedto the outside of the plate a, and an orificed ear 56 attached to thevertical leg 26b of the L-shaped member 26a. This spring 52 is centeredso that its greatest tension occurs when the legs 26a, 26b are halfwayin their swing between the extended position E and their retractedposition R, as shown in FIG. 3.

From the foregoing description it may be seen that the stand of thepresent invention may be sold as a kit and easily attached to amotorcycle. After the plates 10, 10a are attached, the L-shaped member26, 26a are inserted through the backings 20, a and into the tube 28where their ends are secured together by the screws 34. The spring orsprings 52 are attached and the stand is ready for use. It may be pusheddown by the operator's foot until it touches the ground, whereupon bybacking the motorcycle, the front end will rise up onto the stand and besupported by the latter. When it is desired to drop the motorcycle downfrom the stand, the operator simply applies power to the rear wheel andrides forward. As the stand passes the center of its swinging arc, itsnaps into retracted position without being touched by the operator.

lclaim:

1. A retractable stand for mounting on a motorcycle to support the sameupright with it front wheel spaced above ground level, comprising:

A. a stand member in the form ofa rod of the configuration of aninverted letter U with two legs extending from a cross-bar to swingdownwardly and forwardly from a first upper rearward retracted positionto a second lower forwardly inclined effective position for supportingthe motorcycle;

B. a pair of bracket plates for mounting on the motorcycle on theforward part of the frame of the motorcycle, said plates being spacedapart from each other and having corresponding coaxial bushingsjournaling said stand member, and each of said plates being providedwith a plurality of spaced apertures to receive screw means for fixedlyanchoring the plate to the motorcycle; at least one of said plateshaving a laterally extending projection; and at least one of said plateshaving an arcuate slot spaced from its bushing, the radius of curvatureof the arc of said slot radiating from the axis of the bushing;

C. stop means to limit the swinging movement of the stand member betweensaid two positions, said stop means comprising an element parallel toand spaced from the axis of the bushings, said element having a firstend disposed horizontally to extend through the arcuate slot in saidplate for movement therein; and means securing the second end of saidelement to the cross-bar of the U- shaped stand member to maintain saiddisposition of the first end in said arcuate slot; and

D. a tension spring connected at one end to said projection and at theother end to one of said legs, the points of connection of the springwith the projection and leg being positioned for the spring to swingpast center as the stand member swings between said two positions,whereby the spring yieldingly holds the stand member at either of saidtwo positions.

2. The stand as described in claim 1 wherein the U-shaped member isconstructed of a straight tubular section disposed between the bracketplates and two L-shaped leg sections, one leg of each ofthe lattersections being inserted through a bushing in one of the bracket platesand into one end of the tubular section, and removable means areprovided to secure said inserted legs against withdrawal from thetubular section.

1. A retractable stand for mounting on a motorcycle to support the sameupright with it front wheel spaced above ground level, comprising: A. astand member in the form of a rod of the configuration of an invertedletter U with two legs extending from a cross-bar to swing downwardlyand forwardly from a first upper rearward retracted position to a secondlower forwardly inclined effective position for supporting themotorcycle; B. a pair of bracket plates for mounting on the motorcycleon the forward part of the frame of the motorcycle, said plates beingspaced apart from each other and having corresponding coaxial bushingsjournaling said stand member, and each of said plates being providedwith a plurality of spaced apertures to receive screw means for fixedlyanchoring the plate to the motorcycle; at least one of said plateshaving a laterally extending projection; and at least one of said plateshaving an arcuate slot spaced from its bushing, the radius of curvatureof the arc of said slot radiating from the axis of the bushing; C. stopmeans to limit the swinging movement of the stand member between saidtwo positions, said stop means comprising an element parallel to andspaced from the axis of the bushings, said element having a first enddisposed horizontally to extend through the arcuate slot in said platefor movement therein; and means securing the second end of said elementto the cross-bar of the U-shaped stand member to maintain saiddisposition of the first end in said arcuate slot; and D. a Tensionspring connected at one end to said projection and at the other end toone of said legs, the points of connection of the spring with theprojection and leg being positioned for the spring to swing past centeras the stand member swings between said two positions, whereby thespring yieldingly holds the stand member at either of said twopositions.
 2. The stand as described in claim 1 wherein the U-shapedmember is constructed of a straight tubular section disposed between thebracket plates and two L-shaped leg sections, one leg of each of thelatter sections being inserted through a bushing in one of the bracketplates and into one end of the tubular section, and removable means areprovided to secure said inserted legs against withdrawal from thetubular section.